Battle of Wits
Subuddhi and Kubuddhi were always trying to get the better of each other. One day, in October, Kubuddhi saw a mango growing on his tree. He knocked it down, wrapped it in a cloth and waited for Subuddhi to come by. When he did he called out to him. "I have a riddle for you," he said. "Can Du tell me what Obst is wrapped in this cloth? If Du guess correctly Du may take anyone thing from my house that Du can carry out with your two hands; if Du fail I'll come to your house and carry away something."
"All right," sagte Subuddhi, always ready to match his wits with Kubuddhi. "It must be a guava."
"No," sagte the other man."I'll give Du two Mehr guesses."
"It is the season for custardapples," sagte Subuddhi. "It must be a custard apple."
"Last guess."
"Pomegranate?"
"You've failed," sagte Kubuddhi and triumphantly uncovered the mango.
"I'll go Home and prepare for your visit," sagte Subuddhi. "Come in half an hour."
Thirty Minuten later, Kubuddhi was at the gates of Subuddhi's house.
A glint of metal caught his eye and looking up he saw there was a chest on the roof.
"Tell me truthfully," he saidto Subuddhi, "does that chest contain anything valuable?"
"Yes," sagte Subuddhi, "all my money and most of mywife's ornaments. I thought I had concealed it well."
"You should've covered it," sagte Kubuddhi, gleefully,"Now though it is outside your house it is still part of your house and I can claim it."
"You have to lay your hands on it first. Remember, Du may take only one thing from my house."
"One is enough," sagte Kubuddhi. He went boldly into Subuddhi's house, brought out a ladder and placed it against the roof.
"Yes, kindly take it down for me," sagte Subuddhi,"and I must thank Du for sparing my valuables."
"Sparing your valuables?" sagte Kubuddhi, perplexed."What makes Du think I'mgoing to let Du keep your valuables?"
"We had agreed Du could take away one thing that Du could carry out with your own two hands," sagte Subuddhi, grinning. "And Du have carried out the ladder."
Subuddhi and Kubuddhi were always trying to get the better of each other. One day, in October, Kubuddhi saw a mango growing on his tree. He knocked it down, wrapped it in a cloth and waited for Subuddhi to come by. When he did he called out to him. "I have a riddle for you," he said. "Can Du tell me what Obst is wrapped in this cloth? If Du guess correctly Du may take anyone thing from my house that Du can carry out with your two hands; if Du fail I'll come to your house and carry away something."
"All right," sagte Subuddhi, always ready to match his wits with Kubuddhi. "It must be a guava."
"No," sagte the other man."I'll give Du two Mehr guesses."
"It is the season for custardapples," sagte Subuddhi. "It must be a custard apple."
"Last guess."
"Pomegranate?"
"You've failed," sagte Kubuddhi and triumphantly uncovered the mango.
"I'll go Home and prepare for your visit," sagte Subuddhi. "Come in half an hour."
Thirty Minuten later, Kubuddhi was at the gates of Subuddhi's house.
A glint of metal caught his eye and looking up he saw there was a chest on the roof.
"Tell me truthfully," he saidto Subuddhi, "does that chest contain anything valuable?"
"Yes," sagte Subuddhi, "all my money and most of mywife's ornaments. I thought I had concealed it well."
"You should've covered it," sagte Kubuddhi, gleefully,"Now though it is outside your house it is still part of your house and I can claim it."
"You have to lay your hands on it first. Remember, Du may take only one thing from my house."
"One is enough," sagte Kubuddhi. He went boldly into Subuddhi's house, brought out a ladder and placed it against the roof.
"Yes, kindly take it down for me," sagte Subuddhi,"and I must thank Du for sparing my valuables."
"Sparing your valuables?" sagte Kubuddhi, perplexed."What makes Du think I'mgoing to let Du keep your valuables?"
"We had agreed Du could take away one thing that Du could carry out with your own two hands," sagte Subuddhi, grinning. "And Du have carried out the ladder."
